Duntech Ruby Series1 Reviews
5 of 5
MSRPDescription: The Ruby is a two driver two way design using a Damped Polymer Composite (DPC) magnetically shielded driver. This driver uses a low loss rubber surround to eliminate the possibility of deterioration over time. The drivers, including the tweeter, utilise Hexatech Aluminium wire voice coils wound on Aluminium formers, this provides superior power handling and eliminates dynamic compression due to heating. The Bass/midrange driver has a huge 75mm voice coil which evenly drives the shallow profile cone, reducing cone break up and reducing distortion at high power levels. The tweeter is treated with diffraction controlling felt and is positioned to be time collimated with the bass driver. The cabinet itself is constructed of MDF (medium density fibre) up to a thickness of 40mm. Hardened steel spikes are also provided with every loudspeaker which are secured to the cabinet by means of integral steel threaded inserts. The Ruby is wired internally with heavy gauge low loss silver plated cable and provided with high quality gold plated terminals.

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Submitted by
ksharpe
a Casual Listener

Date Reviewed: December 3, 2003

Bottom Line:

After 30 years of using my Sonab V1's I decided to revitalize my sound system, starting with a pair of Duntech Ruby's. Listening to these speakers was a series of surprises.
First surprise was that silence has a presence and the spaces between notes can have as much impact as the music itself. Obvious to most people perhaps but the first time I've ever really noticed it! Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye" - a few simple layers woven together with elegance and delivered by the Ruby's with a clarity that was as exciting as the first hearing 30 odd year ago. Likewise with the Adagio movement of Beethoven's "5th Piano Concerto", single piano notes dropped onto a bed of strings with a gentleness that made the heart ache. I don't think I'd had this much fun with music in a long time.
Next surprise was Leonard Cohen again. I'd read that Duntech's gave extremely accurate reproduction but I hadn't understood how disconcerting this could be. It seemed the drumming in "So Long, Marianne" was disappointingly flat, lacking in bass. But on repeat hearings this became far more satisfying as I realised that this was what a small drum kit actually sounds like in real life - took me a while to appreciate this though.
Another surprise was the way individaul elements of music suddenly had greater impact than in previous listenings. The bass organ notes in Albiononi/Giazotto's "Adagio for Organ and Strings" still seem as if they are only half as audible as they aught to be but the Ruby's seem to deliver more of the bass spectrum than I'm used to. I suspect my ears are letting me down more than the speakers now. A similar experince with The Fureys "Green Fields of France". I've always liked the way the Uillean Pipes come in at the end but now they have a little extra prominence that definitely adds to the poignant sweetness of the song.
The only disappointing surprise I can think of is with the Allegri "Miserere". I've always loved this piece when I've heard it on a tabletop radio but for some reason it has always been a disappointment when listening to a CD. I had high hopes that the Ruby's would change this. Surprisingly, they didn't. Whilst it definetly sounds a lot better through the Ruby's it is still a disappointment - what is it about this piece of music?